


cold war

by thottiedottie



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Don't Like Don't Read, Eventual Smut, F/M, Love Triangles, Modern AU, Multi, Read tags, Sorry Not Sorry, boris is attracted to women in this obviously but he can still be mlm, boris pavlikovsky/el hopper, eventual cheating, i just wont be writing mlm in this fic because its not what i'm interested in writing it, i thought it was about time we had a love triangle that centered EL for a change instead of mike, if you have a problem with cheating that centers el for once then don't read, if you have a problem with that then DON'T READ, its your job to curate your own internet experience, mike wheeler/el hopper/boris pavlikovsky, mileven endgame, that means that el will develop genuine feelings for BOTH of them, this story will feature a legitimate love triangle between boris el and mike, yes that means that el will cheat on mike with boris in this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:54:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21797947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thottiedottie/pseuds/thottiedottie
Summary: el and mike have been together since he found her in the rain, a runaway from her abusive foster home, when they were just 12 years old. now both 20, el is repeating her junior semester in college while mike is a recent (and early graduate), landing a lucrative but demanding job that keeps him away most nights from the apartment they share together. on top of that, mike's ukrainian cousin, boris, has recently re-located to hawkins, to the apartment just below theirs as a matter of fact.... This will be written in a "journal/diary" format from el's POV. warning: look at tags. don't like, don't read. rating will go up eventually.
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler
Comments: 39
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> a few notes before we get started:
> 
> \- i did absolutely 0 research on boris’s canonical character or anything related to the goldfinch because honestly, i’m a mileven fan writing for mileven fans, not in the goldfinch fandom, which is why i chose not to tag this as a "The Goldfinch" fic. boris has his bare bones traits (druggie, shoplifter, doenst care about rules/authority etc) and backstory (moved around alot, dad is from ukraine, dad is abusive, etc) but other than that don’t go “oh but that contradicted this bit from the goldfinch” cuz boo it probably does and thats not important to me XD 
> 
> \- boris is obviously attracted to girls in this but you can still hc that he is also attracted to boys like the book/movie if you want. there just won’t be any mlm in this fic because that’s not what i wanna write about. 
> 
> \- a bit of backstory: no powers/supernatural stuff, but im gonna keep el/mileven back story as similar as possible to canon. el was orphaned and spent her time in foster care. she was fostered with brenner for a time with other foster kids (where she met kali, her foster sister), but brenner was abusive (no sexual abuse though - i’m not going there) to all of them so el ran away, which is where mike found her wondering in the woods in the rain. he did all the same stuff (kept her hidden, tried to keep her from being sent back to foster care, got a crush on her, kissed her awkwardly in the cafeteria etc). but anyway the social service agency found el and took her back into foster care, where she was adopted by hopper, but he lived out of state. so for a year or so mike and el couldn’t see each other or talk to each other. el was so sad that hopper finally decided to move to hawkins so that el could be with mike and the rest of her friends. mike and el offically began dating and then went onto high school together and all of that (i’ve erased season 3 events as you can see XD). this fic picks up when mike has just graduated college early (he’s more like canon mike in this, so he’s very smart, and he graduated in 3 years with a great job offer. but he’s always working). he and el live together in an apartment. el is still in college, but she’s struggling because her education when she was in foster care wasn’t great. she’s failed a few classes and is on track to graduate late, which depresses her, along with mike being away from work which makes her feel more lonely. 
> 
> \- boris is mike’s cousin from the ukrainian side of his family. boris’s dad moved them all over the place when he was growing up so boris has never known real stability, and of course, this means that he didn’t spend too much time with mike or his other extended family growing up. finally boris lands in hawkins and mike decides to help his estranged cousin out by helping him rent an apartment in his same apartment building. mike and boris’s personalities don’t really mesh as they are pretty different but mike feels like he should still try and help his cousin out and get to know him better. unfortunately, that’s been slow going, since mike is always at work. oh and again, this wont incorporate anything goldfinch related, so theo (the goldfinch character) doesn’t exist and boris never went through the events depicted in the goldfinch. 
> 
> \- oh and i may or may not stick to chronological order. but dates will be noted. 
> 
> \- again, if el cheating on mike bothers you, or anything about the characterization of boris/the goldfinch bothers you, then don't read. i'm not your internet babysitter. otherwise, hope some of you enjoy this messiness XD

Jan 15

Today was Mike’s cousin’s first day in Hawkins. He flew in all the way from Arizona and Mike and I picked him up from the airport. He’s going to be staying at our apartment for a few days until the lease on his place officially starts. Mike got him a good deal for a 1 bedroom just one floor below ours, so I guess we’ll be neighbors! 

Mike said that Boris (his cousin) was born in the Ukraine and that was the first thing I noticed about him - his accent! The second thing I noticed about him was that he looked like he could be Mike’s twin brother. Mike said that can happen with cousins sometimes, like with King George and Nicholas II (from Russia…kind of like Boris, I guess! I learned this in Intro to European History last semester). 

Since Boris has been staying with us these past few days, I’ve nearly called him Mike five times already! I had to keep taking second looks just to make sure. And of course, once they talk, it’s easy to tell the difference then. I think I’ll just need some getting used to it, and then I’m sure it won’t be hard to tell them apart. They actually seem pretty different in their personalities, and I’m glad that Boris will be moving into his own place soon, because I can tell some of Boris’s habits are getting on Mike’s nerves 😅 I’ve caught Mike mumbling to himself cleaning up after Boris and I have to remind him that Boris is our guest and he won’t be here forever. That usually makes Mike feel better. 

Boris’s official move out date is in 3 days. I know Mike is very excited 😝 I think Boris is excited too. He’s already asked me to come help him decorate. I’m really looking forward to that. It’ll give me something to do besides sit around and mope about having to repeat another semester while Mike is at work all day. Well, that’s all for now. 

Til next time, 

El 

-

Jan 16

I am so embarrassed.

School’s got me down again, so I decided to go to the gym and work off some stress. I got in a good work out (spent a few hours there! proud of myself 😊) and when I got home I just wanted to jump in the shower right away and wash the sweat off. Mike was already in there brushing his teeth (which put me in a good mood because at least he’s finally home on time for once) so I just shut the bathroom door and turned the shower on. I was already half out of my clothes when I noticed Mike was brushing with the wrong toothbrush. And when I asked him what happened to his electric, he answered me in a Ukrainian accent! I was so mortified. I grabbed the towel off the rack to cover myself but I mean, Boris had already seen me topless. I couldn’t even look him in the eyes, and I kept saying sorry over and over again. He was _so_ nice though because he just laughed a little and then said he could finish brushing his teeth by the kitchen sink and left. 

Gosh. What must Mike’s cousin think of me?? I must have made him so uncomfortable. I hope he won’t be weirded out by me after this, but I wouldn’t blame him if he was. 🙁

Til next time, 

El 

-

Jan 18

Today Mike and I helped Boris move into his new place downstairs. Then we all went out for pizza and beer to celebrate. It was so awkward when Mike went up to the counter to order for us. I’ve been avoiding being alone with Boris since I accidentally took half of my clothes off in front of him. 

I didn’t say anything and neither did he, and then I couldn’t stand the silence anymore so I just said sorry again and that I was really embarrassed. He just said, “It’s okay. It’ll be our little secret. Mike doesn’t need to know” and then he winked at me! I don’t know if he was trying to make a joke, but I didn’t get it. Maybe it got lost in translation. 

I really haven’t told Mike though. I wonder if I should? Friend’s don’t lie….but I know it would upset him, even if he pretended like it didn’t. 🙁

I did try to tell him when we went to bed, but I think Mike had a little too much to drink (I think he was happy and a little relieved that Boris is finally out of our space), and he was super horny and it’s so hard to resist him when he knows just how to touch me…but first I made him tell me all the Dungeons and Dragons character classes in alphabetical order…just to make sure. I don’t really know if he gave me the right answers but they _sounded_ right and most importantly he was speaking with an American accent. We started having sex and Mike was being so enthusiastic. He held me down and went to town until the headboard started banging and the mattress was squeaking. I think he was trying to make up for us having to have such quiet sex when Boris was crashing on the couch. He told me he wanted to make me scream. I tried to tell him that Boris was just downstairs and that he might _still_ hear us but it was already too late - and pretty soon I _was_ screaming. 😊 Oh well. I’m sure he can’t hear us all the way downstairs. 

It was a good night. I’m just sad that Mike will be back at work before I’m even awake tomorrow. Oh well. 

Til next time, 

El 

-

Jan 20

Yesterday Mike and I helped Boris move some furniture into his apartment. He’s got almost nothing there but a bed and box spring, a couch, and a flatscreen TV he got used on Craigslist. There’s absolutely nothing in his fridge - and he doesn’t even have any kitchen utensils yet! “Just like when I was growing up,” he said, and he was chuckling, as if it was no big deal, “Just the important stuff - vodka and popcorn. I can live off the stuff.” 

Well, I wasn’t gonna let him go hungry. I told him I’d be back the next day after school with some food. Mike said that was nice of me. So today after I finished classes I brought over my baked mac and cheese that I know Mike likes (so it must be pretty good). Boris seemed to like it too (he ate almost all of it!). I was just gonna drop it off but he asked me to stay and eat with him and I just felt so bad for him because his apartment was so sad and empty and he looked kinda lonesome so I said okay. I had some of the mac and cheese too and Boris offered me vodka but I made a face and said that stuff tastes bad and then immediately felt bad. That was really rude in retrospect (I still have a hard time knowing when to use _white lies_ and whennot to. Mike said it’s cute and that’s what he likes about me, but some people may not understand) but Boris didn’t seem to mind and he laughed and gave me a beer. Mike and I don’t usually drink on a weeknight, and especially not on a school night, but Boris winked at me and said again “Another thing Mike doesn’t have to know.” I felt my face go hot and I know I was blushing - I don’t know why! But then I got embarrassed that I got embarrassed so I just took a swig of beer to calm my nerves, and then before I knew it I had finished the whole bottle and we were on his couch watching “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” “Eighties slashers,” he said, “A classic.” It was a little scary but Boris made up for it by making fun of how stupid the teen characters were acting. He’s really fun. But, I still got scared at some parts and I grabbed onto his sweater a few times. I couldn’t help it. I don’t think he minded though. Still, I don’t think I would watch that movie again. A little too scary. 

When I came back up to our apartment, I had actually gotten back later than Mike for once. He was already waiting for me, eating dinner by himself. He asked where I was and I told him I already ate at Boris’s place. Mike seemed kinda surprised but then he said it was nice of me to keep Boris company. I told him all about Nightmare on Elm Street and he agreed that it was too gory and he said that slasher movies are “lowbrow anyway.” I’m not really sure what that means, but I guess Mike and Boris prefer different kinds of movies. 

Well, I had a fun night anyway. Boris is really nice, though sometimes he’s a little hard to understand. And I don’t just mean his Ukrainian accent. He said next time I come over he’ll make me some _borscht -_ which is supposed to be a popular Ukrainian soup. I’ve never had Ukrainian food before. I’m excited to try it! 

Til next time, 

El 

-

Jan 22

This morning Boris texted me about coming over for the borscht he had promised to make. I was so excited to try it (I love trying new foods 😊) so I said yes right away. 

When I told Mike to get home on time so we could have dinner at Boris’s, he asked me if I was sure. And when I said sure about what (because what did he mean by that??) he said that it seemed like the invitation was just for me and maybe Boris didn’t expect or want him to be there. I was so surprised that Mike would think this way because it never occurred to me. So I told Mike that he is Boris’s cousin, and I’m just some girl Mike is dating as far as Boris is concerned, so he was just being silly because I’m sure that Boris wouldn’t want to hang out with just me if he can help it. “We’re a package deal besides,” I said to Mike, and that seemed to make him feel better because he stopped being mopey and gave me a kiss and grabbed my butt 😝

In any case, Mike actually did manage to make it home from work on time today! Then we went downstairs to Boris’s apartment and when Boris opened the door…I’ll be honest. He _did_ seem surprise to see Mike with me, which was kind of strange. But it was only for a moment, and then he was his usual friendly self. The kitchen looked a little nicer too (still not much in there though) and we had the borscht (it was really good! Even though it had alot of beets in it) and some wine. But about halfway through Mike got a call from work and then he said he _had_ to go back because there was some issue with the system only he could fix and they needed him and he was so sorry and then he gave me a peck on the lips and he was out the door. 

I was _so_ disappointed and I tried not to ruin the mood but I guess Boris noticed anyway. “This happens often, yes?” And I started to say well, not really - but it was kind of a lie, and I’m bad at lies, but Boris didn’t get mad or anything. He just poured me some more wine and I was feeling so frustrated that I took a big gulp. Well, a couple of big gulps. And it helped alot, and then I felt a little better, and Boris made a joke that made me laugh and asked if I wanted to see his record collection so I said yes. 

He’s got such interesting taste in music! Much different than what Mike likes to listen to. I’m not sure if it’s for me but it’s very, very interesting and I learned alot about something called _horror punk._ We listened to this band called _Bauhaus_ (Boris said that’s a german word for “building house”) and Boris smoked a joint. He said the joint had marijuana in it, and would I like to have some? But it smells kinda funny to me so I said no thank you. 

I admit, I think I drank a little bit too much wine because I felt kind of tipsey. But I had a good time anyway because Boris showed me the proper way to dance to horror punk which just seems to be jumping up and down alot and banging your head which seems easy enough. Boris said I did it well! Anyway we listened to more _Bauhaus_ and Boris smoked his joint and I drank wine and I learned to _mosh_ which just seems to be jumping up and down on his bed. It was fun 😊 But when I got home later, Mike was back from work and he said he had been back a long time and had been waiting for me to come back up and he said he smelled booze and marijuana on me and then I think he got mad, because he just went to bed and didn’t wait for me or kiss me goodnight or anything like he usually does, and he had his back turned to me the whole night. 

I don’t think I did anything wrong? He was the one that decided to leave early and he could have stayed and listened to _horror punk_ with us but he didn’t. 

Til next time, 

El


	2. Chapter 2

Feb 1 

Today I saw a girl leave Boris’s apartment. 

I was on my way over with some cookies and leftover dinner (I like to cook dinner for me and Mike but ever since Mike got promoted, he always stays at work until 9pm and grabs dinner there, so I end up eating by myself most nights. And every time I’m at Boris’s, his kitchen is STILL completely empty. There’s nothing in the pantry at all except for vodka and popcorn. Sometimes there’s take out. So I just bring him leftovers most nights. Mike doesn’t eat them and I don’t want them going to waste, and I think Boris appreciates a nice, home cooked meal. I don’t think he knows how to cook? [Except for borscht of course 😝]). 

So anyway, I was on my way over as usual with leftovers when I saw a girl slip out of his apartment. I’d never seen her before and I didn’t know _who_ she was, but she and Boris were smiling at each other and she hugged him goodbye. A really _big_ hug that lasted for a _long_ time. 

I don’t know why but I suddenly didn’t feel like having dinner with Boris anymore. Besides, I figured he probably already ate with this girl. I was about to turn around and quietly go back to my apartment when Boris noticed me and smiled, as if nothing was wrong. 

I mean, I guess nothing _was_ wrong. Boris has every right to have dinner with whoever he wants to. 

“Dimples!” 

I blushed when he used the stupid nickname he’d been calling me. I guess it was such a silly name it made me feel embarrassed. 

“Where are you going? How am I supposed to feed myself without you? Don’t let your favorite Ukrainian starve!” 

“I-It looks like you already ate,” I nodded down the hallway in the direction that the girl had left in. “With your girl friend.” 

Boris’s eyebrows flew to the top of his head, and then he gave a laugh. “ _Girlfriend?_ Who her? She’s not girlfriend!” 

“But -” I stammered, flustered. I guess I hadn’t expected that response. “Well then, who was she? Not that it’s any of my business,” I quickly added, so so that there was no misunderstanding. “Just curious, that’s all. I haven’t seen you have guests over before…” 

Boris ushered me in his apartment all the while, closing the door after me. 

“Dimples - are you jealous?” He was grinning at me, teasing. 

I felt my face go hot and I just _knew_ I must be red as a tomato. “No! I just - forget it,” I gave up. “It’s not any of my business,” I said again. 

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. What is there to be jealous of, right?” But as he said that, he winked at me, that same wink he used when he’d told me _Mike doesn’t need to know_ that timehe accidentally saw me topless. It only made me blush even harder. 

“She’s just a customer, Dimples.” 

My eyebrows knitted in confusion. “Customer?” 

“Yeah. My business. Mike is a software engineer, I am a businessman.” 

“You are?” It was news to me, but I was glad that Boris had gotten a job. Mike had called him a slacker a couple days ago, and I had told him that wasn’t a very nice thing to say, but Mike had said it was true, that Boris didn’t have a job, that he'd never had a steady job in his life, and he wasn’t sure how Boris was going to even make the rent. Well, i was glad that Boris did seem to actually have a job. 

“That’s great, Boris! What’s your business?” 

Boris held up a little ziploc bag with a green plant inside. “Weed.” 

So that’s how I found out how Boris makes money. And the girl really _was_ just a customer. I haven’t told Mike that Boris is a.. _.drug dealer_ ….I don’t think Mike would understand. 

Because it’s not at all how it’s like in the movies. Boris isn’t some mean, evil gangster. He isn’t dangerous or addicted to drugs. And his customers aren’t scary either. They’re just regular people, and it’s just like if Boris was selling anything else, and he told me how much money he makes just from one of those tiny ziplocs and it’s _alot._ Not as much as Mike makes, but definitely enough to pay the rent since Boris has a steady stream of customers. 

“You want to try?” He offered me a _marijuana joint_.

“I don’t know Boris…Mike said that stuff is bad for you…” 

Boris smirked. “It’s actually legal in five states now. Only a matter of time until here in Hawkins too.” He took a puff on the joint before passing it to me again. “Besides, do you always have to listen to what Mike says?” 

“No,” I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. I admit that I felt a little defensive; it was the same sort of thing Max used to say in high school. About how I was my own person and how I shouldn’t let Mike boss me around. But Mike _doesn’t_ boss me around. He just…helps me. Sometimes.

Well, I guess I decided I didn’t need Mike’s help in this case. But I felt like I needed to prove it to Boris or something, with the way he was looking at me. “Fine. Give it here.” 

“I’m just kidding, Dimples. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” 

“No, I want to. Let me try.” 

“Dimples -” 

“You think I can’t do it?” Defiantly, I grabbed the joint out of his hand and took a big puff. 

Big mistake. 

Gosh, it hurt so bad. It felt like I was choking, like I had just inhaled a bunch of nasty smoke right into my lungs and I coughed and coughed and _coughed_. Boris got me a glass of water and then I felt a little bit better but I could still feel the ache in my lungs even then. 

And then I waited around for _something_ to happen. To _get high._ But I still felt the same. Nothing was different at all!

Well, maybe I was a little lightheaded, but that was it. 

“Did you play a joke on me? That didn’t work at all! I don’t feel any different,” I said, waving my hand in front of my face. 

Boris laughed, grabbing my hands. “It’s because you didn’t inhale correctly. It’s okay. Always happens the first time. Though I’m glad your first time was with me.” 

He kept his hands on mine. I didn’t know what to say. 

_Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!_

Luckily I didn’t have to say anything. I got three texts from Mike. 

_Be home soon. Sorry for working late again, El. I promise you it’ll all be worth it. Love you._

His sweet words made me feel sick to my stomach. I don’t know why. What was wrong with me? 

“I have to go,” I blurted out, and I practically ran out the door and didn’t stop until I was all the way back in our apartment. I brushed my teeth and gargled with mouthwash and then I sprayed perfume all over myself. I didn’t want Mike to smell it on me, and thankfully that night he didn’t. 

Later, I felt bad about just running off on Boris like that. It was really rude of me. I guess I just felt guilty over smoking the marijuana and panicked. But that isn’t Boris’s fault. 

Tomorrow I’m going to try and go to his apartment to say sorry. Maybe I’ll bring over some brownies. 

Til next time, 

El 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> El is still in heavy denial, in case you can't tell... XD


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, this story is more el x boris than mileven. mileven is endgame but this is el's story about straying with someone else who she will (eventually) realize is wrong for her. but we're not at that point yet. we're at the boris/el development point, so this story is going to read like a boris/el story for a minute. if that bothers you or you disagree, then i don't need to hear about it. it costs 0 dollars to not read this fic. comments whinging about boris/el and poor mike will be deleted. just move on and read the literal thousands of other mileven fics on ao3.

Feb 2

I decided to make brownies for Boris instead of bringing them over. I was going to teach him how to make his own, since I think he really needs someone to help him cook. I asked him why his mom didn’t ever teach him how to cook anything but _borscht_ and he told me that his mom died when he was little. I felt really bad for asking, after that. But Boris just said it was okay, that it had happened a long time ago. Then he was quiet for a bit. I don’t know why, but in that moment, I felt like I really wanted to tell him about my mom too. I hardly ever talk about her. I still get really sad talking about her, so I never do. Only sometimes, with Mike. 

Well, I told Boris that I lost my mother when I was really young, too. And that I never really knew her. But I sometimes still feel like I miss her. Alot. Which is pretty stupid, because how can I miss somebody I never knew? 

Boris said he understood. 

Mike says that too. About my mother. But sometimes I’m not sure that he really does. How can he, when his mom’s always been around? 

I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make this entry so depressing. Anyway, I started to show Boris how to make brownies when, to my surprise, he told me he already knew how to make brownies! He said he knew how to make _special_ brownies. 

I asked him what he meant by special and he said, “It was hard for you to get high from inhaling, right?” I was confused. I thought, what’s that got to do with anything? But I did tell him that the smoke hurt my lungs and made me cough. And it also made my clothes and hair smell bad and I didn’t want Mike to think I smelled bad. Then Boris told me he could put the _marijuana_ in the brownies and I could just eat the brownies and get really high! 

Well, I was really skeptical. I told Boris he could put the marijuana in 1 brownie and we’ll see. So we spent the afternoon making brownies and Boris made me 1 _special_ brownie and it was actually really fun. The brownies turned out real nice and I was going to eat the whole special brownie but Boris stopped me and said that special brownies can be really strong so I should just have a little bit.

I only ate about a quarter of the special brownie when Boris told me that was enough! I was so surprised but I guess Boris would know about this kinda stuff. I had two regular brownies and then some of the leftover mac and cheese I’d given him the other day and then I _still_ felt hungry and I asked Boris if we could order some pizza and then Boris laughed and asked me how I was feeling and that’s when I noticed it. 

_I was high._

I just felt kind of slowed down but not in a tired way, in a very _relaxed_ way, and everything Boris said or did was real funny, and the brownies tasted _amazing_ and when the pizza came, _that_ tasted amazing even though it was only Domino’s and I don’t even like Domino’s. 

Boris and I watched some cheesy old horror movies he had. One was called _Attack of the Killer Tomatoes_ about killer tomatoes and it was so funny, I don’t know why but I couldn’t stop laughing. Boris is alot of fun. 

Later I got a text from Mike saying he was home and asking me where I was. Whenever Mike texts me I always feel excited and happy. But this time I felt sad. I was really having a good time at Boris’s place; I didn’t want to leave just yet. 

What was wrong with me? 

Well, I told Boris that I had to go. He seemed a little sad too. But I told him that I’d be back to keep him company tomorrow. I gave him a kiss on the cheek before I left. 

Mike seemed happy to see me. He said I seemed happier and “mellower”, too. I was so glad that I had the special brownies and didn’t smoke. Mike couldn’t smell anything on me, not even when we were having sex. And the sex was _so_ good. We weren’t doing anything really different, but everything just felt like _more_. Like all my senses were heightened and my body and his body and everything just felt so, so good. 

I really need to thank Boris for those special brownies. And in general. He’s so sweet, and I really like hanging out with him. 

I finally feel like I had a really good day today, for once. 

Feb 7 

I failed the midterm. I am so disappointed. I studied so hard. 

Mike could tell right away that something was wrong. I felt ashamed to tell him, even though I know that that’s stupid. Mike loves me. He would never make me feel bad or think less of me just because I failed a stupid test. Still, I guess I was afraid he’d be disappointed in me. 

“I’m not disappointed, El,” he’d said. “We just gotta try harder next time.” He looked guilty. “I know I haven’t been around much and I’m sorry. But that’s going to change.” 

“It is?” I asked, feeling hopeful. 

Mike nodded. He had that resolute look on his face, the one he makes when he’s made a commitment. “Yeah. I’m going to take more time off work, at least for a little bit.”

Yay!

“….and then I’ll have more time to help you with school and get you back on your feet.” 

Oh. 

He kissed me on the forehead, and I know hearing that was supposed to make me feel happy, but it didn’t. I mean, the first part made me feel happy, but not the second part. Mike wanted to be home more, but not for me. Not really, I don’t think. It wasn’t to spend more time with me or anything. It was to help me study. Which is nice and I know that that shows he cares about me but….I guess sometimes I just feel like I miss having a boyfriend. Not a tutor. 

In any case, I didn’t really say anything because I don’t want to be ungrateful so I just smiled and I don’t think he noticed anything. 

So Mike kept his word, like I knew he would. Instead of staying late most nights, he actually started coming home on time. But maybe he was _too_ good at keeping his word, because when he said he would spend that extra time helping me with school, he meant it. 

“So which part of the brain controls learning and memory?” 

“Is it um…is it….the…par-ie-tal cortex?” I guessed. All the brain parts sounded so confusing. 

Mike shook his head. “No, that’s not it. Try again, El.” 

“I…I don’t…know.” I sighed. It was so frustrating. I felt so stupid. “I’ll never get this, Mike. I can’t do it.” 

“Hey, don’t say that. Of course you can, El. You got this.” 

I knew Mike was being supportive, but it sure didn’t feel like I understood anything. 

“Remember the VR headset they gifted me at work? The Oculus?” 

“Yes…” Now I was even more confused. What did that have to do with anything? 

“Well, which part of your body do you put the headset over?” 

“The eyes….” I said, trying to follow wherever he was going. 

“Yeah! That’s right, over your eyes. So eyes - vision - Occulus - Occ….” 

Oh. _Oh!_ “The occipital lobe? The visual cortex is in the occipital lobe!” 

“Yes! That’s right!” Mike looked so happy for me, and I was happy, too. I finally got something right! “See? You _do_ know this stuff, El.” He got so excited that he leaned over and kissed me. In that moment, I felt so good, so happy. I finally felt like I was making progress, and I was proud, and Mike seemed proud of me too. And Mike was kissing me. I don’t think he’d kissed me all day. He just comes home from work and we hit the books straight after dinner. 

I missed kissing him. I think he missed kissing me, too. 

The kiss quickly took on a life of its own. It had started as a sweet little peck, but it had turned hungry, and before I knew it, my hand had gone under his shirt, tracing his stomach lightly with my fingers and his hands found their way over my hips, giving them a hard squeeze. I whimpered a little against his mouth and then I felt Mike suddenly breaking away, panting. 

“Mike…” I whined, missing his touch. 

“Sorry,” he breathed. “You got me all…excited.” 

“Me too,” I returned mischievously. I moved in for another kiss. 

“But….we gotta stay focused,” Mike said, turning his head away from mine. “We can kiss later. We have to finish this section first.” 

“But - ”

“No buts.” 

I gave him my best puppy dog eyes, but he didn’t change his tone. 

“You gotta get serious about this, El. Look, I would love to spend all day kissing you, and holding you, and making love to you. But this is your education, El. It’s really important.” 

***

“Education? Fuck that!” Boris had his fridge door wide open; once again, it was completely empty, except for a half-empty bottle of Ketchup and a bottle of Stoli. “I’m hungry. You want to go for burger?” 

So I was _supposed_ to be studying. It was a Tuesday and I don’t have any classes on Tuesday and Mike said I should go to the library to study so I don’t get distracted at home, but Boris kept texting me. 

“Dimples - still alive? What happened to you? Haven’t seen you for few days.” 

I told him I had to go to the library to study and he just said that it sounded like Mike thinks my apartment is distracting so as long as I’m not in my own apartment I’ll be fine, so that’s how I found myself over at Boris’s again. 

“And I just feel like a total idiot. It’s my second time taking the course and I can’t believe I’m sill not getting it. So, what if I never pass?” 

“Exactly,” Boris said. “ _So what_ if you never pass the course. So what!” 

I didn’t know what to say to that, and at first I thought Boris was being mean, but he must have noticed the frown on my face, because then his tone softened and he said, “Listen Dimples, school is just one small part of life. What does it really matter anyway, if you can tell neuron from synapse? It doesn’t. Doing well in school has nothing to do with smarts or life, okay? Nothing.” 

“But Mike says - ” 

Boris waved his hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah. I know my brainiac cousin loves school. Easy for him to say is important, he doesn’t have any problems. But there’s way more important things in life, Dimples.” 

I never about it like that before. Maybe Boris was right. School was such a small part of my life, but it had such a big impact on making me feel miserable. And before I was 12, when I was still living with _Papa_ ….I didn’t even know what school was! And now it was like the only thing I could think about, and it was making me miserable. 

But still, I was skeptical. “But…what’s more important than school, Boris?” 

He grinned at me mischievously, pointing to his empty fridge. “Food!” 

So 30 minutes later, Boris and I were munching on burgers and fries at Benny’s. I was telling him about classes and he kept making fun of the professor and students, which made me giggle. 

“Your professor actually made 50 page syllabus? _Blyat._ No wonder his wife left him.” 

‘’Boris!” I started coughing like a big dork. “Stop! You’re going to make me choke on this milkshake!” 

I pushed my knees against him playfully, but he didn’t move away. 

“Um… Did you finish college already, Boris?” I asked, changing the topic. I didn’t know what to make of Boris keeping his legs against mine. I didn’t know if I should move them away, or if that would be rude, so I just kept them there. 

Boris shook his head. A lock of his unruly black hair fell into his eyes. Boris kept his hair longer and more unkempt than Mike did, but it didn’t look bad. Not at all. 

“ _Nyet_. My father moved us around so much when I was little boy, I barely finished high school. School is not for me.” 

Boris seemed sad. He always got that way whenever he talked about his dad. I don’t think Boris’s dad was a good man. 

“And you?” he asked, pushing a french fry around on his plate. “You went to the same school as my cousin, yes?” 

“Yes. And a little bit in middle school, too. With Mike, I mean.” 

“Oh?” Boris raised an eyebrow. His voice was teasing. “Were you his girlfriend in middle school, too?” 

“Yes,” I replied. “Mike asked me to be his girlfriend at the Snow Ball in 8th grade.” 

Now it was Boris’s turn to choke on his milkshake. He gave me a bewildered look. “What? You serious? You and my cousin have been dating since…middle school?” 

“Yes,” I said again. What was so weird about that? 

“Thats… long time.” 

“I suppose so,” I shrugged. I had never really thought about it before. 

“So you never dated anyone besides Mike?” He sounded so confused, like I’d just told him I had two heads. 

“No.” 

“You’ve never…kissed anyone but Mike?” 

I was twisting at my napkin nervously. I never thought there was anything wrong with only ever being with one person before, but when Boris put it like _that_ ….I don’t know. It made me feel a weird pit down on the bottom of my stomach. The kind of feeling I get when I do badly on a test at school, or when I accidentally walk around with a big period stain on my pants. I felt…embarrassed. 

“No…Mike is the only boy I’ve ever kissed. The only boy I’ve ever….” I trailed off. Kissed. Made love to. Loved. “….the only boy.” 

Boris was looking at me with an expression that I couldn’t read. Then he turned back to his fries and shrugged. “You and my cousin are only people I know that have been with just one person their whole life. I don’t think I even have friends I know for that long.” 

“Oh.” I felt so self-conscious. “Are Mike and I…weird?” 

“No, not weird.” Boris smiled, and grabbed my hand reassuringly. “Just…different. But….aren’t you sometimes curious?” 

I wrinkled my brow, confused. “Curious? About what?” 

“About what it would be like to…you know.” Boris’s hand was still on mine. He gave it a little squeeze. “Be with someone else.” 

I could feel my mouth open and shut wordlessly. I didn’t know what to say. Boris’s hand burned against mine. “I…I .. -” 

“Hope ya’ll enjoyed the meal!” 

I nearly jumped in my seat. Boris withdrew his hand as the waitress set our bill down on the table. 

“Here’s your receipt. Take your time.” 

Boris picked up the bill and crumpled it as the waitress walked away. “Dimples…you ever hear of dine and dash?” He had the most mischievous look in his eyes. 

“Boris!” I knew what “dine and dash” was. Max had told me. It was like stealing. “Did you forget your money? I think I can cover it - ”

“ _Nyet_ , Dimples,” he said, flashing his wallet at me, stuffed with wads of cash. “Is just more fun this way.” 

“But - ”

“Trust me.” 

“I - Boris - ” but before I could finish my sentence Boris’s hand was on mine again, and he was pulling me away from the table. 

“Just walk out calmly but quickly”, he whispered in my ear, guiding me along. His fingers laced with mine. The door was just ahead of us. “Almost there…” 

“Hey!” The shrill voice of the waitress called at our backs. “You didn’t leave any money. They didn’t pay! Hey!” 

“Okay - plan B - time to run!!” 

There wasn’t any time to think. I just reacted. We both started bolting for the door, the startled but useless cries of the waitress fading away behind us. 

“Hey, they’re stealing! _Come back here!_ ” 

I held onto Boris even tighter as we ran past the front door and out into the street, clinging to him as he lead me around street corner after street corner. Someone was laughing and squealing with delight and after awhile I realized it was me. 

Somehow we had made it back to the apartment complex. I was panting and laughing so much it was hard to breathe. Boris was laughing too. I had never felt that way before. I had never done anything like that before. Broken the law. It was so much _fun,_ like going on a roller coaster ride, and a part of me felt guilty and bad….but somehow that just made it seem even _more_ exciting. 

Boris walked me back to my apartment, and I didn’t let go of his hand until I got to the door. “See you tomorrow?” 

His lips quirked into a smile. He squeezed my hand before finally letting go. “See you tomorrow, Dimples.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i've been AWOL. my life has gotten (and will remain) very busy. progress on all my works will be sporadic and slow moving (think an update once every few months, the same pace i'm updating at now). i have a tumblr that i update a bit more frequently - the actual stories are on here (ao3), but tumblr gives me a space to post aesthetic posts related to the stories i've created, headcanon posts, and sometimes even little snippets/vignettes from stories that don't otherwise fit on ao3. in fact, this chapter was uploaded onto tumblr a day ahead of its upload on ao3 (and the first part of this chapter was uploaded about 1 month before its debut on ao3 today), and there are some vignettes on there that i haven't posted on ao3 at all. 
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thottie-dottie


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